Comparative Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Efficacy and Abrasivity of a Herbal Dentifrice Formulated with Myristica fragrans and a Commercially Available Herbal Dentifrice: An In-vitro Study

Introduction: Effective plaque control is important for proper oral health maintenance, and the toothbrush-dentifrice combination is essential for achieving this. Recently, herbal toothpastes have gained more popularity amongst people. Aim: To formulate a novel herbal toothpaste containing Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) and compare its antimicrobial efficacy and abrasivity with a commercially available herbal toothpaste. Materials and Methods: This in-vitro study was conducted on 24 non-carious permanent extracted teeth with intact coronal structure. These were equally divided into experimental and control groups (n=12). The nutmeg toothpaste was formulated using nutmeg powder, tulsi leaf powder, and clove powder as the main herbal ingredients. Dabur red was selected as the commercial herbal toothpaste. The zone of inhibition of both toothpastes was evaluated against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus species using the agar well diffusion method. Enamel specimens measuring 5×5×5 mm were mounted on acrylic blocks and brushed for 28 days. Profilometric analysis was conducted on the 1st, 7th, and 28th day. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS) version 23.0 software, and independent t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were used. Results: 24 teeth were used. A total of 6 samples of toothpaste were considered for antimicrobial testing. The zone of inhibition for the nutmeg toothpaste and Dabur red was 28 mm and 32.17±0.42 mm, respectively, against both organisms. The increase in surface roughness of enamel was not statistically significant between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Both toothpastes exhibited antimicrobial activity against the test microorganisms and significantly increased the surface roughness of enamel from baseline to the 28th day. The nutmeg toothpaste caused less enamel abrasion, but the difference was not significant